Chef Career Day-to-Day Working Conditions

Chefs and Kitchen staffs regularly work in very small, tight quarters amongst hot stoves, grills and ovens. They are under consistent pressure to prepare meals quickly while ensuring the quality is maintained.Presentation of the food must be consistent and safety and sanitation guidelines are followed. Working conditions vary with the type and quantity of food prepared. Chefs must withstand the pressure and strain of standing on their feet for hours at a time, lifting heavy pots, pans and kettles, and working near hot ovens, flames, and grills. Potential job injuries include bruises slips and falls, cuts, and burns, but most are hardly ever serious. Many restaurants and institutional kitchens have updated, modern equipment, suitable work areas, with ventilation and air conditioning.Kitchens in older and smaller eating facilities are often not as well designed and equipped. Kitchens must be well ventilated, appropriately lit, and correctly equipped with sprinkler systems to protect against kitchen fires.

Typical Chef Hours and Schedules

Chefs may be required to work a variety of shifts on different days and hours.Schedules may be consistent week to week or they may change completely, it depends on how Management completes the schedules.Work hours in restaurants may include very early mornings, late evenings, holidays, and weekends. Chefs who work in factories and school cafeterias may have more regular schedules.Due to the physical pressure of standing on your feet and constant cooking, some chefs work less than 40 hours per week.The U.S. Bureau of Labor reported that in 2004, about 40 percent of cooks and 46 percent of food preparation workers worked part-time, compared to 16 percent of workers throughout the economy. Work schedules in fine-dining restaurants, tend to be significantly longer, because of the time required to prepare the various ingredients in advance. Many executive chefs regularly work 12-hour days because they oversee the delivery of food products early in the day, plan the day?s menu, and start preparing the menu items that require the greatest amount of preparation time and/or skill.

Salary Overview

Wages of executive chefs, chefs and cooks vary greatly depending on region of the country and the type of establishment in which they work. Wages usually are highest in fine dining restaurants and hotels, where many executive chefs are employed, as well as in major metropolitan areas.Some restaurant cooks and chefs receive tips from the evening's service, while others only receive their hourly pay.The U.S Department of Labor reports that in May 2004, the median hourly earnings of chefs and head cooks were $14.75.The hourly wages of cooks employed by private households were $9.24, cooks employed by institutions and cafeterias earned $9.10 and short-order cooks earned $8.11. Chefs and cooks who work full time often receive traditional benefits, but part-time workers typically do not.In some large restaurants and hotels, kitchen workers belong to unions. The main unions are the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees International Union and the Service Employees International Union.

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